


Love Goes On

by Chaos_Valkyrie



Series: Agent O [18]
Category: Phineas and Ferb
Genre: M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-11
Updated: 2016-11-24
Packaged: 2018-08-14 14:42:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,612
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8018020
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chaos_Valkyrie/pseuds/Chaos_Valkyrie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is a dumping ground of continued one-shots in the Agent O universe. My own little musings, and any reader requests.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. When They Knew

**Author's Note:**

> Title taken from 'Love Goes On' by the Go-Betweens, but the song isn't particularly relevant.
> 
> So, RULES. 
> 
> ....There aren't really any rules. There are certain things I won't write - but we can burn that bridge when we get to it. The only really rule is that I have the right to refuse certain requests that delve into things I'd rather not write about. But when that occurs, I will respond to the request and explain why its not something I'm willing to write. I don't see that happening much here... but I do anticipate it happening with another series in the works.
> 
> So give me your requests, and I'll get around to them. This series won't post regularly, just as I have pieces ready. Requests will help me post faster, fyi.

Bea knew from the moment she first saw them together. 

She had heard the rumors the full-fledged agents had hissed as they passed through the cubicle jungle on their tour, as they all watched Perry walk through with the other recruits. The slight slouch of his shoulders, the stoic mask that kept slipping into longing as his eyes scanned the area for one agent in particular…

She knew, even as Carl announced they were in Heinz’s lab, that this was the Heinz who her fellow recruit had crushed so badly. The way his posture straightened, to the discrete hand brushing through his hair under his fedora. The way his stoic face lit up at the sight of Heinz’s rump half sticking out of a machine, the carefully-hidden surprise and pride as Carl told of Heinz’s status in the Agency, and the jealousy he felt at the story of Kevin.

She saw it in Heinz, in the way he carefully didn’t look at Perry at all, the heartache he wore so plainly on the sleeve of his lab coat.

The matching heartache in Perry’s eyes as they left the lab.

She vowed she’d do whatever it took to help fix this. That vow strengthened after watching them at that first lunch, after their mutual kindnesses to her.

These boys were hers now. Whatever it took, she’d get her boys back together.

*****

For Carl, he knew the first time he watched them rant over their favorite soap opera. 

He had already guessed Heinz’s side of it, not that it was hard. His Science Bro came back from his ten day holiday, gushing about his kids and looking only slightly less haggard than before. He’d hated Doctor B in that moment, even as he smiled and listened to Heinz’s stories.

Then ‘Recruit Platypus’ showed up with the new batch of potential agents, and Carl could barely contain his rage. How dare he show up now! How much further was he intending to hurt Heinz? Hadn’t he done enough already?

Entering the lab and seeing Heinz’s expression as he first laid eyes on Doctor B cemented it. He’d treat Recruit Platypus civilly – he’d get in trouble otherwise – but he sure as hell was going to make this as hard as he could for him. Subtly, of course. People always underestimated unpaid interns.

But he couldn’t keep track of Doctor B at all times, and he fumed as he watched the two slip slowly, achingly, back into orbit with each other. As the heartache and shyness haltingly vanished, and an easy familiarity with each other slowly returned.

He managed to thwart Doctor B after the paintball session, but he cursed as they came back from the driving course weeks later, Doctor B smiling widely as Heinz purred softly to himself. 

But it was the lunch incident a week later that finally made him pause and start watching more carefully. 

The way Perry stormed up to Heinz, ranting and flailing about… something. Carl could only catch a few recognizable signs, the rest was Perry muttering in that odd chatter-growl, his facial expressions the most animated he’d ever seen from the usually stoic recruit.

And Heinz instantly launched into the same strange language. The pair spent all of lunch raving at each other in their own little language, hissing and snarling and clearly understanding each other perfectly, completely in tune with one another.

Bunny recruit’s smug little grin only confirmed it. He was fighting a battle already lost.

*****

For Newton, he knew that Heinz and Perry were deeply in love with each other somewhere in between.

There was nothing special about that day that particularly stood out. He was sitting with Heinz, waiting for Carl and the others, and saw the ocelot’s face light up in a way he’d never seen before. 

He turned and noticed that Carl and the others had entered the cafeteria. He watched in amusement as Heinz tracked Perry with a hunter’s focus from across the room. He saw the way the human’s face lit up when he noticed, waving over to the ocelot. 

He just shrugged, and knew. Maybe they weren’t there yet, because God knows they still had issues to resolve, but they’d be there one day. 

The love was already there. It was only a matter of time until they finally realized it.


	2. Wedding Planning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This scene is mentioned in 'Curiosity Killed the Cat', but takes place sometime after 'One Week at Perry's'. Heinz is still an ocelot.
> 
> EDIT: Some people were a bit confused by the 'conversation' between the two, so I changed a few things up. In my defense, I was tired and in a lot of pain, so this got posted with very little editing. Also, I'm a FCC – Future Crazy Catlady – so for me its perfectly normal to have someone talk to their pet and expect them to understand them.
> 
> Enjoy!

Heinz snuggled down into the pink comforter, kneeding his paws in the soft fabric and purring. Candace really did have the most comfortable bed in the house. He spent most rainy days, like this particular one, curled up and keeping his girl company while the boys low-keyed their Science.

Candace chose that moment to bang the door open, causing Heinz to peek an eye open at her. Both eyes opened fully as they took in the big armful of magazines, fabric swatches, and color wheels the girl was carrying.

Heinz chirped at her, head tilting as he noticed most of the magazines were wedding related. Oh dear. Surely she wasn't old enough to be dating, much less planning a wedding. He'd hate to have to give (or really, force Perry to give while he growled menacingly nearby) some middle school boy a shovel talk...

...but he would. Young punk thinking he's good enough for his girl.

“Alright, Heinz,” she sighed, dropping her armload on the bed next to him, oblivious to his thoughts of murder. “Today we begin a very important project: Operation Uncle Perry's wedding.”

Heinz choked, all prior thoughts flying out the window. 'What?!' he meowed hoarsely.

“You approve of this guy, right?” Heinz just blinked at her. “So its only a matter of time before they get married, so we might as well have everything planned out. We can't let Uncle Perry do it – he'd probably let the boys invent some kind of Insta-Wedding 3000 or something to take care of it all, and that just won't do. So you and I will have to do it properly. I already have Aunt Tiana's planned, whenever Uncle Bob gets around to actually proposing.” She huffed at this. 

Heinz mewled nervously. Surely it was too soon for this...

Candace continued her rant. “Uncle P's never been like this about anyone before, according to dad, so this guy must be the One. He'll still have to pass our approval, but I know this is it for Uncle Perry.”

Heinz was warmed by this. And, in all honesty, he himself couldn't imagine feeling this way for anyone else. Perry was it for Heinz as well.

Heinz chirped, sitting up and rubbing his head against the girl's shoulder in a 'let's do this' kind of way.

Candace squealed and flung her arms around him. “Thank you, Heinz! No one ever wanted to help me plan Tiana's wedding!”

Heinz rubbed his head against the side of hers, a deep purr rumbling forth. He'd do anything to keep his little girl happy...

...Except play dress up. He still had a little dignity left.

Candace pulled back and grabbed one of the color wheels. “First, we'll start with colors...” she told him excitedly. He simply sat back and let her enthusiasm wash over him with a smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This wasn't what I planned to post today, but I've been sick with whatever my nephew has given me this time. Something with sharp, painful stomach cramps. So instead of writing, I've been laying around, willing myself to die (or sleep, whatever).
> 
> And thanks for the requests! You'll be seeing those in the near-ish future!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All right! I severely overestimated how involved I would be going trick-or-treating with my niece and nephew! So you get the two actual Halloween-themed posts tonight – this one and ‘Neighbors’ – and I’ll finish editing the last of ‘Hoping to Find a Savior’ tonight and post tomorrow. Sorry for the slight delay, but I can’t resist puppy eyes!
> 
> Hope you all enjoy! And Happy Halloween!

Heinz the former ocelot landed neatly in the backyard of the Flynn-Fletcher home, his hand reaching back to flip off his jetpack. He'd had to work late, and so was arriving well after his boyfriend to take the kids trick-or-treating. Hurriedly shucking the device, he walked over to where Perry's car was parked in the driveway and stuck it in the trunk.

And just in time, too.

"Heinz!" three voices screamed, tackling the former ocelot onto his back. Luckily the dog pile landed on the grass, as Heinz had the wind knocked out of him.

"Good to see you too, kids," he gasped, trying to hug all three kids at once.

Three sets of eyes looked up at him pleadingly. "Please tell Uncle Perry his costume is boring! He refuses to change into the one we made for him!"

Remembering Perry's costume from last year, Heinz couldn't help but grin.

"Did you use the coconuts again?" he whispered conspiratorially.

"Just like you told us to!" Phineas chirped as Ferb gave Heinz a thumbs up.

Heinz pulled himself and the kids to their feet, dusting bits of dried grass off his black jeans. 

"How soon are the other kids arriving?" Heinz asked.

"Half an hour!" Candace answered, her voice muffled by her Ducky Momo costume. The kids had abandoned the group theme, instead telling their friends to dress up as the scariest things they could think of. 

So Candace was evil Ducky Momo, Phineas a mad scientist, and Ferb decided to be one of the monsters from Dr. Who.

"And where's your uncle?" Heinz asked as the group moved inside.

"Locked inside the bathroom like a big scaredy cat!" Candace's voice rose at the end.

An angry voice churred from that direction. The kids and Heinz all giggled, especially as Heinz understood what Perry was saying.

'Don't think I don't recognize your involvement in this, Heinz!'

"I'll go see what I can do, guys, but no promises." Heinz grabbed his own costume from Candace, thankful that he had decided to work with the kids on their costumes, instead of just trusting their judgment.

You would think Perry would've learned, after last year.

"Perry," Heinz sing-songed from outside the door. "You can't hide in there forever." Heinz heard his boyfriend grumble.

"You have to come out here and be the responsible adult, remember?"

'I will. Just not wearing... that,' came the repulsion-laden reply.

"But you wouldn't want to disappoint the kids, now, would you?" Heinz tried again, his smile wide.

'You weren't there, last year. You can have no input if you weren't there,' Perry swore adamantly.

Heinz sighed. He'd knew it had been a long shot. "All right, I can at least tell the kids I tried. So open up and let me see the 'boring' costume you're wearing."

The door opened reluctantly, revealing Perry wearing... a sheet. A plain, floor-length white sheet that Heinz was pretty sure had come straight from the Flynn-Fletcher's linen closet. Two round eyeholes were cut out, allowing Perry to see. Heinz knew his boyfriend well enough that he could tell his arms were crossed and he was pouting sulkily.

"I can see what the kids meant," Heinz replied. 

Perry wordlessly churred in frustration. 'At least no one will be able to tell it’s me under here.'

"Did you cut arm holes? You do remember I'm the only one who can understand you without sign?"

Heinz heard a sigh, then the snick of Perry's pocket knife opening. Sure enough, the blade quickly stabbed through one side at shoulder height, then the other. Perry's arms fiddled under the sheet, then poked out through each arm hole. Perry had rolled down the sleeves of his button-down and put on the black leather gloves that he liked to wear on missions.

'Better?' Perry asked, holding his arms wide. Heinz snorted. He grabbed the bottom of the sheet and pulled it upwards, ignoring Perry's protests.

"Oh stop, you big baby. I'm not going to take your sheet away." Perry stopped struggling, and Heinz pulled the sheet up to reveal his boyfriend's best not-amused face.

"We could at least put some of this black face paint around your eyes, make you look a little spookier than a guy-in-sheet," Heinz told him, fishing around in his own costume bag. Pulling out the jar, he quickly used his fingers to fill in the area around Perry's eyes, then pecked him on the tip of his nose with a smile.

Heinz dropped the sheet, standing back and examining his work. 

"There, now you're a slightly spookier ghost."

Perry sighed in relief, poking through Heinz's own costume bag as Heinz quickly painted two dark circles around his own eyes.

'No fair! I'm their uncle! Why do I get the weird costumes, and you get the nice ones?!'

Heinz snorted. "Because although I adore the kids, I know better than to let them have free-reign over the design of my costume," Heinz stated in a low voice. He pulled the mask out that covered the lower half of his face, slipping it in place carefully over his long nose. He then pulled on the matching jacket, and gloves, raising the hood and tying it in place to cover all but his face.

"Tada!" Heinz turned around, showing Perry his costume.

‘Heinz the Ocelot-Again,’ came the amused voice from under the sheet. Heinz turned to the mirror again, admiring the custom-made hoodie that almost perfectly recreated his old, spotted coat. The mask that imitated his snout was not quite so perfect, but given the length of his human nose, it couldn’t be helped. The tail curled up into his line of sight, and he grinned.

"The tail even moves! I missed having a tail," Heinz said excitedly, turning in place to get a better look at said appendage. 

He heard Perry snort from under the sheet, the last of his tension leaving his shoulders as he stepped forward and pulled Heinz into a hug.

'I miss your tail, too,' Perry confessed, giving him a gentle squeeze.

Happy screams erupted from the front hall, causing the two men to pull away slowly.

“Sounds like the kids are all here,” Heinz said ruefully. “Guess we’d better get out there and do the responsible adult thing.”

The sheet sighed again. ‘Guess so.’

*****

“So, when do Lawrence and Linda get back into town?” Heinz asked Perry as they followed the neighborhood kids up to the first house.

‘Tomorrow morning. We’ll drop the kids off at school, and they’ll pick them up later.’ The kids rang the bell, and they stood there waiting. ‘Linda was very disappointed that she wouldn’t get to meet you.’

“I’ll bet,” Heinz whispered as the door opened. A witch in a very form-fitting costume answered the door, smiling widely at the kids.

“Why, if it isn’t the Flynn-Fletchers and company!” Her eyes scanned over the crowd, flitting over the two adults in the back dismissively. “And where’s your Uncle Perry this evening?” she asked as she handed out candy.

Phineas shrugged innocently. “He said he had plans with his boyfriend tonight!” 

The witch’s shoulders fell in disappointment. “Well, that’s nice,” she said in a falsely cheery tone. “You tell him I said I now!”

“We will.” At Heinz’s pointed cough, they added, “Thank you!”

As they walked to the next house, Heinz leaned towards Perry and whispered, “’Plans with his boyfriend’?”

Perry’s shoulders hunched defensively. ‘That’s what I told them to say, if anyone should ask where I am. Its not a lie,’ he said, winking at Heinz. Heinz rolled his eyes.

“I still think you’re over-reacting.” Heinz whispered as the kids rang the next bell.

‘And I still know you weren’t there last year,’ came the instant reply. The door opened to reveal a woman in a devil’s costume, to which Perry snorted and whispered, very softly, ‘I told you so.’

*****

At the end of the evening, after door after dozens of doors of very attractive witches, wizards, devils, vampires, cat people, mermaids (and men), and one very memorable Chewbacca (memorable because she was the only one not to ask “Where’s your Uncle Perry?”), Heinz had to concede the point. 

He really should’ve been there last year.

“All right, all right, I apologize,” he told Perry after they had tucked the three kids into bed and were sitting at the kitchen table, drinking cocoa.

‘Apologize for what, now?’ Perry asked with a tired, knowing smile.

“You were right. I wasn’t there last year, not for the actual trick-or-treating anyway, so I’ll stop teasing you about the coconuts. I didn’t realize it was such a meat market out there, some of those people should be ashamed for greeting kids dressed like that!”

Perry snorted fondly. ‘Apology accepted.’

“Do you want me to delete the pictures from last year? I mean, I still think you’re adorable in them, but I will if you really want me too,” Heinz asked reluctantly.

‘No, you don’t have to.’ Heinz sighed in relief, and Perry shot him a wry smile over the table. ‘You’re not the only one with embarrassing pictures, you know.’

His smile turned mischievous as he held up his phone, his finger tapping the button to reveal his lock screen.

“You have Cone of Shame pictures!” Heinz screeched, his voice thankfully muffled by a laughing Perry’s hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ll see you at Thanksgiving, with an update for this series, as well as something else! See you then!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Thanksgiving!
> 
> ...and here, have some requisite meet-the-family trope...
> 
> Enjoy.

So far, Thanksgiving dinner had gone off without a hitch.

Heinz had been nervous about re-meeting Linda and Lawrence, but he shouldn't have been. Linda had latched on to Heinz as soon as the introductions were finished, dragging him off to the kitchen and demanding he tell her all the details of how and when and where he and Perry had met and gotten together. She complained, teasingly, that Perry had been far too tight-lipped about their relationship, and she wanted answers.

Heinz shot Perry a dirty look after his boyfriend simply smiled and waved in response to Heinz's nonverbal plea for help.

It took most of the meal before Linda was satisfied. He was blissfully free of giving a slightly edited account of their relationship, finally, by the time they were serving his homemade apple pie for dessert.

After the first bite, Linda switched from questions about his love life to questions about his cooking abilities.

By the time dessert was over, Heinz had been cajoled into giving her not only his apple pie recipe, but half a dozen other of Perry's favorite recipes. 

(Oh sure, now his boyfriend jumps into the conversation. Heinz knocked his knee against Perry's forcefully under the table. Perry just smirked and entwined his fingers with Heinz's on top of the table.)

"There's some paper and pens somewhere, if you could jot them down for me," Linda begged. "Lawrence can show you while the kids and Perry help me clear the table."

Heinz wasn't sure, but his gut had a strange feeling about this.

"That's right, my office is just upstairs. This way." Lawrence gestured towards the stairs, and Heinz followed him slowly, looking back to Perry and the kids who waved him cheerfully off.

*****

"Here we are," Lawrence said, waving Heinz inside the office. Heinz had rarely entered this room before, as a pet, since it was mostly the domain of the parents.

Heinz walked into the room, and was unsuprised to hear the lock click behind him.

"While we're away from the others, I'd like to have a bit of a chat with you," Lawrence said mildly. 

Shit. This was the requisite shovel talk, wasn't it. Shit.

"So, Heinz," Lawrence said his name with emphasis, "How exactly did an ocelot befriend and start dating my cousin?"

Heinz's mind short-circuited. "W-w-what?"

Lawrence simply crossed his arms and gave Heinz a mild look of reproach. "I'm not going to ask for details, but I know the brilliance of my sons and my cousin. So when a 'stranger'," here he used the air quotes, "shows up with the same name and eye color as our missing pet, I'm understandably a little suspicious."

He continued before Heinz could object. "The kids obviously miss you, as well, but they never mourned you, not like I'd have expected, after the events of last Christmas."

Heinz felt his shoulders droop, hunching a little in defense.

"Everything I said downstairs was the truth... I just left out the part where I was an ocelot most of the time." And a secret agent, that he kept to himself.

"And last Christmas?"

Heinz flinched. "I got picked up off the street," vaguely true, "and wasn't able to return until Christmas day."

Lawrence sighed, dropping his arms. His mouth opened, and Heinz cringed, awaiting judgment...

"Now that the air is cleared, I want to thank you."

"Huh?" Heinz was confused. Lawrence merely smiled.

"I've known Perry since my family first found him, far too late, as a teenager. I don't know how much he told you about his childhood..."

"Most of it," Heinz replied, gesturing for Lawrence to continue.

The other man smiled. "Then that just proves how much you mean to him." Lawrence sighed. "I've watched and worried over him for almost twenty years now. And so I can tell you, with some authority, that I know that the last two years have been the happiest of his life."

"And while I know the kids have had some share in that happiness, I also know, according to both you and Perry, that a great deal of that happiness can be attributed to you."

"So, thank you. Perry has always been... distant, I suppose, with the people he's dated in the past. But its obvious that is not the case with you... you, to whatever degree, obviously understand him."

Lawrence shook his head with a wry smile. "I've never seen him so happy or open before, not since I've first met him. And I just wanted to get you alone to thank you for that."

"Linda doesn't suspect," he warned, "but she always seems to miss out on the boys' more brilliant days, doesn't she?"

Heinz gave Lawrence a commiserating smile and nod.

"So here," Lawrence passed Heinz a notepad and pen, "If you'll just jot down those recipes for my wife, we can go ahead and return to the others before anyone gets suspicious."

Heinz took the items, and began absent-mindedly scribbling down ingredients and instructions.

"When we return downstairs, do you think you could distract Perry for five or ten minutes? I need to talk to the kids about something."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And just what does Heinz need to talk about with the kids?
> 
> Tune in at Christmas to find out!

**Author's Note:**

> Jotted this down one night sometime after Agent Platypus. Just a quick look into when the others knew that our two little idiots were mad about each other...


End file.
